Category Archives: Uncategorized

I have done everything in my power to keep politics out of my blog. However, this country is coming to the point where the politics at play can and will harm any chances we have of moving forward and moving into the light as a people, as a species and as a planet. The danger? Lower energies.

In a Facebook discussion on the timeline of one of my friends, I began to examine what is going on in this country on a more metaphysical level. I’ve been personally, in my meditations, getting rid of lower energies as much and as consistently as possible. About 14 months ago, I began to physically do the same, distancing myself from anyone who personifies lower energies, as well as using Facebook tools to block and unfriend those types.

You know, once this ‘culling’ began in my life, where I started getting rid of these people over a year ago, I have realized when analyzing, that they were never contributing anything to my life whatsoever anyway. I’ve not missed a single one of them.

Remember, you will attract in your life what you put forward. If you put forward compassion and love, you’ll attract the same. Those who are unable or unwilling to live in that manner and who put forward opposite, lower energies will attract the same to themselves. It is your choice of course, but when you cut those types out of your life, you are now able to move forward yourself in quantum leaps. Your power to do good will intensify and isn’t that what we’re all here for?

They were ‘hangers-on’ who were trying to enjoy the good positive energy of those like us, without actually contributing any of their own. Now, whether that is because they HAVE no good energy of their own or because they chose not to, is of no consequence. They are leaches. They are small, dark beings living in their own dark world of their own making, living in hate and resentment and refusing to move forward. They always have the choice to move forward but it is their choice. You will not teach them if they do not want to learn.

It is just recently that it has come to me that the entire Trump movement is a massive, ugly metaphor the worst of the worst on this planet. They embrace fear, selfishness, hate, anger, violence, ignorance, bitterness and all the while, do nothing to help others – not other humans, not society, not nature and not other beings.

Step back, my friends. Look at your life, your country and your planet in the larger view. When you do that keeping in mind that the lower energies are harming us all, and they have become increasingly prevalent in the form of a political movement BASED ON lower energies, I hope you will see how dangerous this situation is.

Please everyone, move away from lower energies. Embrace truth. Do the work. Ban the lower energies and those who exhibit those energies from your life.

Move into light. Move into compassion. Move into love. Move into truth. Your health will improve. Your life will improve. Your point of view will improve. And the sooner you eliminate the toxic energies and people in your life, the sooner you and those around you will move forward.

As an ardent supporter of animal rights, it is no secret that I am passionate about helping them. Through all our efforts, the poaching has not abated. Add to that the disgusting murder of elephants by trophy hunters such as Donald Trump’s arrogant sons, and it has become quite the mission for me to help in any way I can.

I’ve begun to notice the massive number of emails coming to my email box asking for financial support for elephants.

There are so many, and many I have not heard of. They seem to be popping up everywhere. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND EVERYONE CHECK THEM OUT BEFORE DONATING to be sure our dollars do the most good. Thus I began a small study, to find who is valid, who is not, who is actually getting results.

You’ll read/hear the term NGO. NGO’s are a non-governmental organization is any non-profit, voluntary citizens’ group which is organized on a local, national or international level.

This article below is rather good.

The upshot: Of the global NGOs, Wildlife Conservation Society is credited with doing the most effective work in Africa. Their overhead is relatively low and they are very hands-on and partnering with governments, thus not handing off to other charities.

Another that looks good is an on-the ground organization in Africa is African Parks: From the article linked at the bottom of the post, “NGOs like African Parks, which take on the management of protected areas in partnership with governments, are increasingly attracting donor funds because they are accountable for their actions. In signing formal public-private partnership (PPP) agreements, they secure full management responsibility for a protected area and are held responsible for what happens under their watch”.

As always, my favorite, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust does amazing work and it’s a multi-pronged operation – saving orphaned elephants and reintegrating into the wild, with anti-poaching units, air units, and dog units. They also help other animals.

Something I want to learn more about is how we can be proactive in immediate governmental bans on ivory worldwide. The ‘phase in’ thinking isn’t helping and the need is immediate and desperate.

I’ll be posting more on these groups as I find links and will also post here and on Facebook and Twitter.

Last night, there was a piece on the evening news about how over-diagnosed thyroid cancer is. While thyroid disorders have sky-rocketed, the information on the piece was that a thyroid cancer diagnoses shouldn’t be treated with an immediate knee-jerk reaction. However, this is important to note: Thyroid disorders HAVE sky-rocketed. Why? The toxic chemicals we are exposed to daily affect our body and especially, the thyroid. And the thyroid, a small butterfly-shaped gland in our neck area, is very powerful when it comes to regulating our entire system. There are a multitude of serious problems that are caused by a malfunctioning thyroid gland. One of the worst chemicals for the thyroid is fluoride.

The history of fluoride is rather checkered. You will find those who extol it’s virtues, yet the truth is well hidden. Fluoride is a toxic byproduct of aluminum production. Alcoa and other companies pushed the sale of their toxic byproduct to municipalities for the water supply and municipalities bought it. And yet Alcoa has a history of toxic contamination of air and water worldwide. Within this article, is an interesting interactive map that will show how much damage they’ve done. (I had some problem trying to paste the actual interactive map directly.) They’ve been fined over and over again by the US government and other governments for toxic air and water polution. So exactly why would we think their toxic byproducts are safe, when their actual operations are not safe? Now, most communities in the US are subjected to fluoride in their water.

We have done all we can do to eliminate fluoride in our life, for about 10 + years now. We use an under-sink filtration unit to rid our water of fluoride and metals. I lug jugs of that water upstairs to our bathroom and keep in a glass dispenser, so that we do not take in any fluoridated water. Our pets haven’t had it in years either.

But beware: Fluoride is in more places than our water. It’s in our toothpaste and mouth rinses as well. Again, we stopped using any toothpaste with fluoride about 10 years ago as well. The dentist was initially alarmed, but guess what? Our teeth and gums are better and better! (Remember, dentists are no different than medical doctors and veterinarians who are trained to think only one way and who never become involved in any sort of continuing education. They just buy what the pharmaceutical industry sells them. ) We have used Weleda Salt Toothpaste for a long time. It’s a German brand and is mainly baking soda with a bit of mint. At that time those years ago, it was the only thing I could find that really fit our requirements. Now, it appears there are more options.

I am a voracious label reader. I read every ingredient of all that we use, then research to determine what is a risk, or the level of risk, of buying and using the product. My trips to the market take way longer than most, if I’m shopping for a particular ‘new’ item.

However, in a world where we have government that is controlled by lobbyists, where we have legislators who are loyal to corporate money more so than to the people they represent, I strongly recommend that everyone do the same. Until we can get corporate money OUT of our government (fingers crossed for this election cycle) and overturn Citizens United, we are all subject to more and more contamination that is the result of greed.

(Posts will not be daily but please be sure to continue to follow us. I’m hoping to do 2 or 3 a week, based on my work load from my ‘real job’.)

So, perhaps I’ve been a bit busy with other stuff lately, but now, I’m back and going to try to do better. The discipline it takes to do a daily blog post was getting in the way of my actual day-job. So I’m going to give it another try.

I’m still on my health and wellness path for myself, my husband and our pets. I’m still on my path, both spiritually and physically.

Something occurred off and on in the past 4 months that puzzled me. I have never had an issue with acne. Suddenly after a trip to visit our friend in Southwest Florida in April, I had a nasty out break on my face, near my nose. It was a truly difficult to eradicate it. I finally was able to get rid of it and never could figure where it came from – my diet was the same, my facial products were the same. Then about 6 weeks later, it happened again. And about 4 weeks after that, again. I never put two and two together until last weekend.

Before every outbreak, we’d visited our friend up in SW Florida. I’d always noticed that the towels and sheets had an obnoxious perfume-y smell. I bring my own pillow. However, I did use the towels and washcloths provided to wash my face. Then it dawned on me. It’s the detergent!

Your home is filled with poisons!

The maid evidently loads the machines up with product, and with dryer sheets. There is so much detergent embedded in the fabrics, it never washes out completely. Actually, I’d done a load of our laundry in their washer/dryer a year ago and it took 4 washings at home to get the stench of the perfumed detergent out of our clothing – and I’d brought our own gentle, organic detergent with us!

Once I’m home, my face starts to heal. In investigating, I found that, according to an article on Dr. Mercola’s site :

“The detergent you’re using may contain a cocktail of potent cancer-causing chemicals, some of which the manufacturer doesn’t even have to list on the label. This loophole reduces the odds that you’ll ever discover what’s in there.

“Four of the worst offenders are:

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)/sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)

1,4-dioxane

NPE (nonylphenol ethoxylate)

Phosphates”

NOW I know what is happening to my skin! As soon as I am away from the toxins, my skin clears up.

Obviously, this isn’t the only toxin in your home, but it’s a place to start. My go-to for cleaning products for the home is the the Environmental Working Group . Their database is a great starting point for any decisions for a healthy home environment.

Another thing I do is to use white vinegar instead in the fabric softener dispenser. It keeps the clothes smelling fresh, with no perfumes. No, you don’t smell like a pickle! It also helps to cut any residue that might still linger on clothing or linens.

JUST SAY NO to Black Friday (weekend) madness! Stay home, relax, read! Enjoy a free download of my e-Book today, November 28th. This allows you to download and own the e-Book for free. Of course, the printed copy is available for purchase on Amazon as well, and you can find it in three different local outlets –

It’s not a long difficult slog. It’s about a two hour read. You can download here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B012E7M2VG . I hope you pick up a few tips that will help you with your wellness, weight loss and life goals.

I’m happy to answer any questions you might have, here in the comment sections below my posts, and of course, I invite you to share your experiences, recipes and ideas as well.

The ANTI-Black Friday promotion continues! Enjoy a free download of my e-Book Today and Saturday, November 27 and 28th. This allows you to download and own the e-Book for free. Of course, the printed copy is available for purchase on Amazon as well, and you can find it in three different local outlets –

It’s not a long difficult slog. It’s about a two hour read. You can download here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B012E7M2VG . I hope you pick up a few tips that will help you with your wellness, weight loss and life goals.

I’m happy to answer any questions you might have, here in the comment sections below my posts, and of course, I invite you to share your experiences, recipes and ideas as well.

While merchants are pandering for your cash, you can relax! Enjoy a free download of my e-Book Thursday, Friday and Saturday, November 26, 27 and 28th. This allows you to download and own the e-Book for free. Of course, the printed copy is available for purchase on Amazon as well, and you can find it in three different local outlets –

It’s not a long difficult slog. It’s about a two hour read. You can download here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B012E7M2VG . I hope you pick up a few tips that will help you with your wellness, weight loss and life goals.

I’m happy to answer any questions you might have, here in the comment sections below my posts, and of course, I invite you to share your experiences, recipes and ideas as well.

I feel so blessed to have spent a week by the sea. It was perfect to wake every morning to dolphins in front of the beach front house, to turtles lazing in the early afternoon on the surface of the water briefly before diving again, to manatees drifting along at their own pace, to the first of the pelicans from up north, feasting on the small bait fish close to shore, to the ospreys showing off their freshly caught fish, and to the heartbeat of the sea in the form of steady, gentle surf action.

Left is a still and here is a small video sample (hopefully the link will work): 30 Seconds of Peace No, there is nothing ‘about to happen’. It is just this and nothing else.

This is renewal for me. It brings me closer to nature and reminds me that we all need this planet, and the planet needs help.

This week has emphasized the importance of spending more time connected to nature. My priorities become clearer. My meditations become far more meaningful and far more emotional. I feel re-dedicated to my personal goals, which involve helping this planet and those who need the most help – the animals.

A healthy veggie breakfast! You didn’t think it was possible? It is. We did it this morning! It’s all organic and has a healthy helping of fiber, vitamins and protein.

I found the recipe on a site that I enjoy, TheHeartySoul.com, except I made a few alterations so those are included in this version.

Zucchini Veggie Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup organic sweet potato with skin on, grated

1 cup organic zucchini, grated

1 cup organic yellow squash, grated

1/8 cup grated organic onion

3 eggs, thoroughly beaten until frothy

4 heaping tablespoons organic gluten-free oat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Organic olive oil, for cooking

freshly grated organic Parmesan Cheese

Organic sour creamDirections:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the grated veggies, eggs, flour, and salt until thoroughly combined.

Heat a thin layer of olive oil on a griddle at 300 degrees (or if you use a saute’ pan, be sure it’s medium heat.) You want the pancakes to cook all the way through the middle by the time they’re brown on the outside. When the oil is hot, drop pancake-size dollops of the veggie mixture into the pan, without overcrowding. Flatten a bit. Cook until the bottom starts to brown.

Flip and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese

Cook until browned on the second side, then repeat until the batter is gone.

Transfer cooked pancakes to a paper towels. Serve immediately. If you need to keep warm, you can tent with foil or place in the oven on the lowest setting on a plate.

Serve warm with a topping of sour cream.

Serve with a side of fresh organic cantaloupe or for an extra helping of nutrients, avocado chunks.

Notes: The yellow squash and the zucchini once grated, tend to be a bit watery so I added extra flour. These didn’t turn out fluffy and were a bit flat but were still delicious. The sweet potato was difficult to grate so watch the knuckles. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve grated my knuckle over the years! Grating the onion was simple, but it turned out very watery. However, I think that it added to the dish.

We had three extra and I wrapped in paper towel, put in a zip lock and will warm and have them perhaps tomorrow AM.

In my Facebook feed today, a post emphasized the massive amounts of plastic that go into our landfills from the one-cup Keurig coffee machines. It prompted me to write this post today. You can still make a far more rich and flavorful single cup of coffee without a Keurig machine. Yes, it may cost a bit more to start but I promise, it is a worthwhile one-time investment.

We bought our single-cup Italian machine 9 years ago, categorized as super-automatic. With proper cleaning and maintenance, I see no reason that this machine will ever die. Plus it gives us the opportunity to try different beans while always brewing the freshest coffee available. This is an obsolete model, but it is still available online refurbished at a far lesser price than what we paid in 2006. It is called Saeco Incanto Sirius, but there are many similar models by Saeco. Plus there are also many similar models still out there that will give you the same great benefits.

The quality of the beverage you get is so far superior to what you get from the Keurig setup, it isn’t really close in comparison.

You can choose between many different beverages, many different strengths, from Expresso to ‘Shorts’ to Cafe Americano. The cup warmer makes sure you aren’t pouring coffee into a cold cup. The bean hopper isn’t overly large, so your beans do not become stale. You see, this is a big difference between this type of machine and the Keurig style coffee machines. You have to use their ‘k-cups’ which are of course plastic. More mess for the planet. Plus they contain coffee that was roasted and ground months, even years earlier, so fresh is never an option with k-cup machines.

Coffee is at it’s best within a week, perhaps two, of when the beans are roasted. The best way to assure freshly roasted beans is to roast them yourself. It’s not hard, it’s not expensive and it’s not complicated. There are many sources on-line for the green beans and they have a very long shelf-life. We don’t do caffeine so we buy decaffeinated green coffee beans. Since we prefer a strong European roast, I roast to a dark setting. The roaster we have is perfect for the two of us. We drink coffee mainly on the weekends so to roast a large amount would just be wasteful. The roaster I’ve used for 9 years is the i-Roast. If it is no longer available, I’m sure there are others that are just as good. I roast beans outdoors since the smell isn’t what you’d think. It can be pretty nasty, actually. It’s simple to pop this little beauty out on the patio and plug it in and let it go. It has settings and a timer and makes it simple to roast beans properly.

Once they’re roasted, then I put them in a ventilated bowl or plastic bag and let them breathe for 24 hours before using or sealing.

The choice of beans is very wide. There are also a number of companies that sell green coffee beans of all styles, types and origins. Since we like a rich, dark roast AND decaf, the one we found that delivers for us is Decaf Hawaiian Maui Kaanapali Yellow Caturra. We buy these from Burman Coffee Traders and have found their quality and service to be consistent.

Of course both of the machines require proper cleaning and maintenance but then, so does your car, right?

The green beans require no special storage. They do need to breathe and these inexpensive cloth bags allow that. I keep them in a darkened pantry. The cost of the green coffee beans, generally, is about half of what it costs for roasted beans.

This may sound like a lot of work, but if you REALLY like good coffee, this is the way to go!

You can find refurbished Saeco superautomatic machines of all designs, plus you might find other machines from other manufacturers that will do the trick. But generally, European brands will deliver a far better quality machine, with a longer life and great coffee.